Hunted in Blood
by Visasmasterjedi
Summary: Book Three in the 'Jaq the Jedi Hunter Series'. This is only a preview - She had a friend, his name was Jaq. He left her all alone to become a smuggler. In an act of revenge for leaving her to die she felt it best to bring him in, to kill him herself. She is Nareesha. Across the Galaxy the Jedi are being hunted. This is the story of Nareesha, Jolee, Juhani, Bastila, Atris and Atton


**Chapter Eight: The Old Man's Return**

Four years. It had been four years since he'd received the cross of Glory. Four years since he'd fought alongside the Galaxy's greatest Jedi Guardian that ever lived and hunted the greatest menace he'd ever seen. Darth Malak was now dead. With Revan long gone there seemed no reason for the old man to stay.

Jolee Bindo.

It had been nearly four years since he'd heard that name. It was his own. He'd exiled himself from the universe, living alone in order to find himself. He had considered on numerous occasions to return to Republic Space and become a Jedi Master. The lift of a padawan was a fulfilling one. He was so full of knowledge, but as a padawan there was always plenty more to learn.

He'd left the Galaxy with but one other. A woman he once called a friend, and hoped to again one day call a friend. He doubted he could. The Cathar had changed dramatically in her master's absence. During their days on the Ebon Hawk Revan had taught Juhani to suppress her anger and to keep her away from the Dark Side. In his absence she never could finish her training. In his absence she fell into corruption.

Juhani was undoubtedly one with the Sith now. If not, which she certainly believed, she was a renegade with the abilities of a Dark Jedi. Jolee had tracked her for four years straight with little to no interaction with other sentient beings. He felt it his duty, in Revan's absence, to watch over her and to stop her from killing any others. He was hunting her.

He wanted to come back, but in doing so he'd lose sight of Juhani and put others in danger. After four years of self-exile Juhani returned from the shadows of the outer rim and returned to wreak havoc. Jolee naturally followed her. The Galaxy was not as it once was.

Even with Darth Malak's army spreading the Galaxy had been teeming with life. Innumerable voices trailed off into the Force. The Galaxy had been a lively place filled with colours and peace. Now, now it was dark. Jolee could feel it, there was not a Jedi left. The Jedi were gone, the Sith had returned. He felt a series of echoes. At first he believed them messages, likely sent from Bastila Shan. In time he realised that they were echoes of the dead. The Galaxy was dying.

He didn't stray too far away from her. The Cathar had landed somewhere on Sleheyron. Jolee had followed. He was careful to avoid her, staying cities away to make sure she couldn't sense him. At the first cantina he went to all of the locals immediately turned to him.

'Well, well, well.' Laughed a Twi'lek. He was likely a bouncer or manager. 'Is this a Jedi we have here?'

'No.' Jolee lied. 'Just an old man, looking for a drink.'

Jolee approached the bench and sat. He realised that his lightsaber was visible, clung to his hip. He wondered why the locals had gone to the trouble of pointing out that he was a Jedi. Were Jedi no longer welcome within the city? Were Jedi no longer welcome on Sleheyron?

'Listen, Jedi.' The Twi'lek whispered as he approached from behind. 'You look new here, I would suggest you leave the city as soon as possible.'

'Yeah, and why's that?'

'You really don't know.' The alien shook his head. 'There is a bounty on Jedi. The Sith are everywhere, every planet. The Jedi have become extinct. The bounty would be high on a Jedi Master such as yourself.'

'That's lucky then,' Jolee laughed. 'I'm still a padawan.'

As soon as he'd finished laughing the doors to the cantina shut. Jolee turned. A squad of four entered, each wearing green and black body suits and a mask. All four were equipped with quarterstaffs. He could sense it, pawns of the Sith.

If they were here then his fears were true, the Jedi were extinct. What had become of the Dantooine Academy? When he'd left it had been in ruins. But it was always expected the Jedi Masters would rebuild. Bastila, was she dead? With the Sith on the return it was likely that Carth had been executed. What had happened to Atris, or Kavar, or Vrook. There were other masters, padawans. Were all dead? Was Revan… dead?

**For reasons of spoilers, scenes have been removed from this preview…**

Korriban. When he had visited last it had been in search of the last Star Map. Juhani, Revan and he – the three had posed as Dark Jedi in order to infiltrate the ranks of the Sith. They had succeeded. With Uthar Wynn dead another leader was likely to replace him. From the landing zone Jolee used long range scopes to search the Sith Academy.

He could barely see the Academy from where he was. He had positioned himself on a Mountain past the Valley of the Dark Lords. It was the Valley that Jolee could see. Through the scope he could see the tombs all destroyed, all left to waste. They were ruined. If the Sith were so strong, where was their base of operations? Who was their leader? Where were they all?

He had hunted Juhani this far.

He hadn't anticipated that Juhani had been hunting him.

'Old man.' Came her voice from behind him.

He flinched, dropping the scope. He turned to see Juhani with Dark Jedi robes and ceremonial art painted along her forehead. He hadn't seen her for a year and a half, but had been tracking her for four. She had evolved, the Dark Side had changed her. Her skin had changed from pale to grey. Her hair was black and braided. Small spikes, similar to that of a Zabrak lined her head and travelled down her spine. She was a beast of corruption now.

Her lightsaber was raised to him.

He looked past her and discovered the destroyed remains of his small little astromech droid. Over the past four years T4-XD had accompanied him. Now he was nothing.

'Juhani.' Jolee spoke, his words weak with surprise.

'Surprised to see me, old man?'

'No. I've been following you, Juhani.'

'Or have I been following you. I can sense it, you've been thinking of a trap to set.'

'Indeed. I felt it the only way to protect you from harm.' He lied.

'Protect _me_? Or others.' She called his bluff. 'No, you've been following me since Revan left. I could feel it. I've known. Little did you know, that you are the one who has fallen for the trap.'

He stepped forward, considering for a moment whether or not he should grab his weapon. He chose not to. He had to make peace with her.

'In returning to the Galaxy,' she continued 'you have become a target. The Sith want you dead.'

'And they can have me. But I have a duty to fulfil, to keep you safe.'

'And you failed! Not only was it never your _duty_ to protect me, but you never needed to! If it was the Dark Side you feared me falling to, then why not come and find me. Why spy on me?!'

Jolee was taken back. In so many years he had not considered suffering exile with her. Instead he felt it best to watch her suffer alone. He was the reason she fell, not Revan.


End file.
